High blood pressure: Risk factors you can control

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Hong Phuc - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. The doctor has many years of experience in the treatment of internal blood pressure.
In addition to the risk factors that cannot be adjusted, some risk factors can be adjusted such as diet, exercise regime ... If the patient has a healthy diet and lifestyle, strong, blood pressure will be better controlled. Patients are still in good health and have almost no impact on life expectancy and quality of life.

1. Risk factors for hypertension

Over 90% of patients with high blood pressure often have no known cause. However, many studies around the world have demonstrated a number of important risk factors that can increase blood pressure such as eating salty foods, smoking, obesity, drinking a lot of alcohol, and being sedentary.
Modified risk factors for hypertension
Overweight and obesity: People with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 or higher have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Eating salty foods: Raises blood pressure in some people. Smoking: In cigarettes, pipe tobacco contains many stimulants, especially nicotine, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to cause vasoconstriction and increase blood pressure. Drinking alcohol: Drinking alcohol regularly can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure. Inactivity: A sedentary life leads to overweight and increases the risk of high blood pressure.

2. How to adjust for risk factors?

High blood pressure is very dangerous, but we can completely prevent it effectively. Let's live peacefully with hypertension and control it well so that we can live a normal life.
The treatment of high blood pressure is a long and holistic process based on a combination of many regimens: Weight loss, diet, reasonable exercise and medication. Here are a few tips:
2.1 Increase portions Increase portions such as: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high-fiber foods, low-fat foods, skinless poultry, lean meat, fish ( such as salmon, herring... rich in omega 3) at least 2 times a week.
2.2 Limit salt intake To minimize salt, pay attention to carefully read the salt content on foods and pay attention to limit salt when preparing food, saturated fat or trans fats (animal fat, visceral fat). animals, fried ready-to-eat foods....)
2.3 Weight loss Many people with high blood pressure are overweight. If this happens to you, your doctor can prescribe a diet and exercise program for you. Often when you lose weight, your blood pressure will be able to drop in a significant way and you will also live a healthier life. If you follow a diet, you must follow it closely including: Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.
2.4 Maintain a fitness routine Physical exercise is an integral part of a daily treatment program. Exercise helps lower blood pressure and lose weight or keep your body at an ideal weight. The optimal exercise regimen is to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, and most days of the week, with enough intensity (your doctor can suggest the best method of exercise for you if you have problems with exercise). Heart)...

2.5 Quit smoking Research evidence clearly shows the risk of smoking with hypertension and cardiovascular events, hypertensive people who smoke will increase cardiovascular risk many times. So quit smoking now if you are smoking.
2.6 Limit excessive drinking If you drink too much alcohol then limit it. Because drinking a lot of alcohol will increase the risk of obesity, difficult to control hypertension, increase the risk of cerebrovascular accident. The maximum recommended daily amount of alcohol is one drink (equivalent to 142 ml of red wine; 341 ml of beer; 43 ml of spirits - this is for Westerners, Asians can have lower amounts. ).
2.7 Manage stress well Stress stimulates the body's sympathetic nervous responses, increases adrenaline secretion and increases the risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients and increases the frequency of number of episodes of hypertension. Arrange your work and life in the most balanced way.
Treatment of high blood pressure with drugs can prevent complications, requiring you to be persistent in using it as prescribed by your doctor. However, antihypertensive drugs only work when you take them and will go away when you stop. Therefore, the drug should not be stopped even if the blood pressure has decreased to normal. Treatment needs to be maintained for a long time to achieve good effects and avoid complications.
To successfully treat hypertension requires close cooperation between the doctor and the patient. Control blood pressure and adhere to treatment such as seeing the doctor on time, taking medications as prescribed, closely following advice on diet, exercise regimen and lifestyle changes.
Cardiovascular center of Vinmec hospital is one of the leading spearhead centers. The expert team of Cardiology Center includes: Professor, Doctor, Specialist 2, Master with experience, great reputation in the field of medical treatment, surgery, interventional cardiac catheterization and application of advanced techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
In particular, the Center has modern equipment, on par with the most prestigious hospitals in the world. In addition, the center has a comprehensive cooperation program with Cardiology Institute - Bach Mai Hospital, Cardiology Department of Hanoi Medical University, Paris Decartes University - Georges Pompidou Hospital (France), University of Pennsylvania (USA) kỲ) ... will closely monitor to help patients overcome and treat hypertension in the best way.

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Article referenced source: Vietnam Society of Cardiology